Volunteers handing out Thanksgiving meals at food bank

Despite having only two turkeys for their annual Thanksgiving meals last week, the Salvation Army received more than 800 turkeys to fill its food boxes just days before its distribution to hundreds of Renton families.

About 380 people showed up during Monday’s downpour to collect their meals, which is telling of the need, said Beverly Storey, social services director for the Salvation Army.

She was confident the Salvation Army Renton Rotary Food Bank would meet its goal to feed the 560 people who registered to receive the Thanksgiving meals.

“We’re not doing this for us, we’re doing this for people who have a need,” she said.

Fred Meyer came through with about 700 to 800 bags of holiday food items, along with Safeway and Albertsons, that donated a few hundred.

Now the Salvation Army has enough non-perishable items to fill its Christmas baskets for December.

“A lot of the families are new to this, so we try to move them through in a happy non-chaotic atmosphere,” said Storey.

Local Tri-Med Ambulance volunteers were on hand as well as community and church helpers.

Jen Sarginson was volunteering with her two sons, Colsen and Caden, on Tuesday because the food bank has helped them out in the past.

Her church posted the volunteer opportunity and she thought it was a good way to give back.

“It helped us out a lot when my husband was laid off,” Sarginson said. “So, it’s nice to be able to give back. They do a lot for people and we are very thankful for that.”

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